How To: Adjust A Dry Writing Pilot Vp Nib (Or Any Nib) For Increased Flow

[Betweenthelines]

Howdy FPN,

 

Been meaning to throw up this post for a while, especially after seeing so many threads on dry writing Pilot Vanishing Point nibs. I myself am a huge fan of Pilot pens, but the one downside to their line is that many seem to arrive from the factory writing far too dry, especially the hard nibs. After having this experience with dry flowing nibs with inconsistent strokes in various of Pilot's offerings (VP, 74, 92, Bamboo), I did some research, and, with the help of members here and a couple youtube videos, found a quick and painless way of adjusting the flow of these nibs myself, using brass shims. I purchased mine, along with a loupe, from gouletpens.com (no affil). This method goes beyond the mere "flossing" of the nib, as I've found that flossing is really more for cleaning than flow adjustment. You would have to floss for hours (days, weeks?) to see any dramatic results.

 

I do know that a lot folks adjust flow simply by grabbing the shoulders of the nib with their fingers and pulling apart, but that hasn't worked for me:

 

1. Because I have large fingers that like to get sweaty (pleasant image, I know)

 

2. With small nibs like the VP's, that simply isn't feasible unless you have oompa loompa fingers

 

 

So, this is what I've taken to doing, with great results:

 

 

First, the issue --

 

http://i.imgur.com/QwSjlcJ.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/REBkOME.jpg

 

As you can see, with the stock pen you have dry writing and the tell-tale inconsistent left and upwards strokes that plague dry-writing nibs.

 

 

1. What you'll need:

• Brass sheets (shims)
• A loupe (optional, but highly recommended)

http://i.imgur.com/qH5nacw.jpg

 

 

2. Start by taking the corner of a brass sheet and floss the nib, starting at the breather hole and sliding downwards. Note that you generally need a "fresh" unbent corner.

 

http://i.imgur.com/nirAAqu.jpg

 

 

3. Once at the end of the tines, pull the sheet downwards so that it is perpendicular to the nib, careful to not let the sheet slip out from between the tines.

 

http://i.imgur.com/hR5ojeP.jpg

 

 

4. Pull the sheet down until the nib is centered on it, then fold the sheet over so that both ends are grasped between your fingers (note that in the picture below, the nib is not yet centered - you want the nib at the bottom of the fold).

 

http://i.imgur.com/EaToycf.jpg

 

Then - with the pen on its side and the tines stacked vertically, gently pull the tines apart with the brass sheet. I like to give small, gentle tugs. Do your best to ensure you are pulling at the proper angle, so that the tines are pulling apart horizontally and not vertically (out of alignment).

 

5. Turn the pen over and pull on the other side as well. Start with small, gentle tugs, remove the sheet, test the pen, and repeat, until the pen is writing with consistent strokes and at a wetness level you're happy with. It's a lot easier to increase flow than decrease it, so be careful not to be too aggressive - these small gold nibs are quite fragile and soft.

 

 

6. Once you're happy with the flow, use your loupe to make sure you didn't knock the tines out of alignment. If you did, adjust as needed. I've found that, as long as you're careful about the angle and go slow, with this method it's hard to knock them out.

 

 

7. Ta~da!

 

http://i.imgur.com/TZEwgV1.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/eRSG3eP.jpg

 

Just look at those nice, consistent strokes!

 

 

Hope this helps ~

 

 

[lurcho]

Thanks. Very specific description and photos. I've pulled on the shoulders, but never tried the shim method.

[arcadeflow]

Which ink did you use? I recommend that people try their Pilots with Pilot ink first, and adjust them according to those inks. If they work great with Pilot inks and bad with others, it means the pen's design is less able to deal with different inks, so any modification should alter their balanced behaviour with the "proper" Pilot ink. That means the pen might become too wet with those inks.

 

Pen reviews have a whole new meaning to me now that I figured out that a lot of pens might have been judged by their lower ability to deal with the tried ink.

[Betweenthelines]

Which ink did you use? I recommend that people try their Pilots with Pilot ink first, and adjust them according to those inks. If they work great with Pilot inks and bad with others, it means the pen's design is less able to deal with different inks, so any modification should alter their balanced behaviour with the "proper" Pilot ink. That means the pen might become too wet with those inks.

 

Pen reviews have a whole new meaning to me now that I figured out that a lot of pens might have been judged by their lower ability to deal with the tried ink.

 

The example above was using Noodler's Black, which I've found to be as lubricating, if not more lubricating, than most Pilot inks. My go-to test ink, however, is Kon-Peki, and all the dry writing Pilots I've owned still wrote too dry even with Pilot inks.

[PDW]

Good instructions - excellent photography of the 'tool' in use.

 

What thickness of brass sheet do you use?

Edited December 20, 2014 by PDW

[DalekSnare]

Thanks, this totally saved my Christmas present.

[Waldiland]

I have also found this very helpful, thank you. I'm wondering if any of you have used a VP with Midori TN notebooks and have you seen a siginificant difference in VP performance on Midori paper vs other paper? My medium VP nib works well on Leuchtturm, Oxford and Clairefontain, but is dry on Midori.

[drgt]

What thickness of brass sheet do you use?

 

Yes, what thickness?